Consent Forms That Patients Can Understand

By

Laura Landro

Updated Feb. 6, 2008 11:59 p.m. ET

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Informed consent may be the biggest misnomer in medicine: Studies show that most patients don't read the forms they sign before undergoing surgery or medical treatment. More than half of those who do read the forms don't understand them, and only a quarter of forms include all of the data patients need to make an informed decision.